You’ve done it all. The guidebook has been thoroughly thumbed. The delectable Central Mercat, the grand Lonja, historic El Carmen, Turia Park and Calatrava’s Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencias. You’ve gorged on Paella and imbibed Agua de Valencia. All ticked off. Wondering what else? Don’t worry – you’ve only scratched the surface. Here are some alternative things to see and do in Valencia:
Julio Gonzalez (1876 – 1942) was one of the leading sculptors of the 20th century. A close friend of Picasso’s, Gonzalez’s estate bequeathed a large chunk of his collection – almost 400 pieces – to the IVAM, Valencia’s modern art museum. Gonzalez’s arresting metal works give a physical three dimensional form to cubist expression and portray the horrors of the Spanish civil war and the rise of fascism. The museum also hosts interesting and varied temporary exhibitions.
One of Julio Rodriguez’s pieces in IVAM
Do a language exchange
A language exchange is an excellent opportunity to meet other travellers, expats and locals as well as brush up on your language skills in a relaxed environment. Cafe Berlin, a trendy bar in Ruzafa, hosts exchanges on Monday and Wednesdays while Valencia Language Exchange organises events almost every day of the week, including a free salsa class on Wednesdays.
Take a trip to Sagunto
Sagunto is a little-known gem of a town only 30 minutes north of Valencia. It boasts a hill-top castle that dates back two millennia, a Roman amphitheatre that is still in use today, a charming medieval centre and a stately gothic palace. The golden beach – Port Sagunto – is only a very short bus ride away too. Get lines C5 or C6 from Valencia Nord. Check out my recent day-trip.
Relax in Patacona beach
Patacona is my favourite beach within the city environs. It’s the best option if you’re looking for more nature and want to get away from the crowds, but don’t have the time to venture out of Valencia. The 31 bus will drop you closeby or alternatively walk up from Playa Malvarosa, passing the Chiringuito Ocio where the promenade ends. With nothing but dunes and reeds to your back, relaxation awaits.
Admire the street art in El Carmen
The bohemian neighbourhood of El Carmen is famous for its striking street art [see my longer post]. Learn all about the history of the neighbourhood and its most famous artists & artwork on an engaging walking tour. Remember to take lots of photos as your favourite piece may not be there tomorrow.
Street art in El Carmen
Travel back in time in the archaeology museum
In 138 BC the Romans founded Valencia. The museum takes you right back to the beginning. Located a stone’s throw from the Plaza de La Virgen, the museum is uniquely built above the archeological site, which means that exploring the museum feels like you’re going back in time to the heart of the ancient city, complete with the forum, senate, original roads and horreum (or public warehouse). Entrance cost is 2 euro.
Watch the water court, an ancient tradition
The tribunal de las aguas (or water court) meets outside the Door of the Apostles in the Plaza de la Virgen, every Thursday at midday. It maintains a thousand year tradition originally introduced by the Moors and formalised by Jaime I to discuss disputes relating to irrigation. They sit in a circle on wood and leather 17th century chairs, and make their rulings
Have further ideas for alternative things to see and do in Valencia? Leave a comment below.
El Carmen, Valencia’s oldest quarter. Traditional yet bohemian. A medieval labyrinth where ambling tourists coincide with a proud local community. Amid the decaying facades and winding streets, striking and colourful street art bursts out. Getting lost can be part of the fun. Here’s an introduction to the neighbourhood’s engaging street art.
The historyof El Carmen’s street art
Today’s street art was born out of a great tragedy. In 1957 the river Turia burst its banks and a voracious flood engulfed Valencia, swallowing up whole neighbourhoods in an event known as the Gran Riada de Valencia. Over 80 people died, with extensive damage to streets and properties.
With its proximity to the river, the historical barrio of El Carmen was gutted. Whole swathes of the neighbourhood became uninhabitable. Buildings were abandoned. Crime and vice filled the vacuum.
Victoria Cano Perez’s river that straddles three walls, full of symbolism. One could read it as a tribute to those that perished in the flood and the resilience of the neighbourhood
In time, artists struggling to establish themselves spotted an opportunity. Cheap rent along with deserted buildings meant an endless supply of canvasses right on their doorway with a captive audience. The authorities turned a blind-eye, knowing the art couldn’t make the neighbourhood any worse. Colour came to deprived El Carmen. Renewal. A place transformed.
Street art by Disneylexya who uses Aztec themes
The best streets and time to appreciate the art
Today some of the best streets to explore are Carrer de Baix and the connecting Carrer de Dalt where the same piece flows from one street to the next; Carrera de na Jordana; Guillem de Castro; Placa del Carme; and Carrer de Balme where the empty lots and facades allow enormous murals.
The ideal time is from 6pm to 7pm when the heat has subsided and the majority of shop fronts are still shuttered, maximising the exhibits on show.
Street art in El Carmen
Take lots of photos. Artwork can be disappear or be defaced over night. The streets are ever changing and dynamic exhibitions. The fleeting nature of the murals means that the art stays current and is often politically engaging.
“New banknotes, now worth less”
Learn more
A street tour run by Valencia Street Tour, which provides the history of the street art in the neighbourhood and the specific artists and their work, is a great way to spend an evening. Each tour is unique as the ephemeral nature of street art means that the streetscape will change daily.
Destruction in Guernica after the air raid in 1937
Marcus
Travelling across Spain you can’t help but be struck by the marks, physical and cultural, left by the different armies and empires that have marched through the peninsula.
Many of the churches started as Roman temples, were converted into mosques during the reign of the Moors, became Christian during the ‘Reconquista’ and are pockmarked by the scars of the Spanish Civil War. The Castellano language, spoken by 500 million people, derived from the common Latin dialect spoken by the Romans and is liberally peppered with Arabic influences.
Pivotal in establishing the rise and fall of the different powers that have laid claim to modern day Spain are the numerous wars fought in and outside of the region. This post introduces five wars that shaped Spain and have had an irrevocable influence on modern-day history.
The 2nd Punic War was the second of a series of conflicts fought between Carthage and Rome vying for dominance over the Mediterranean. In 219 BC Carthage, under Hannibal, controlled the majority of the Iberian peninsula. Looking to further consolidate his power, Hannibal captured Saguntum, a pro-Roman city on the east-coast of Spain near modern day Valencia, sparking Rome to declare war in response. My day-trip to Sagunto is covered in this post.
Map of Europe on the eve of the 2nd Punic War
With Roman dominance of the sea, Hannibal famously marched his army across the Alps, achieving a series of early victories and establishing control in vast parts of Italy. After Rome took drastic steps to raise a new army, the tide began to turn. The Romans gradually recaptured the rest of Italy and used their momentum to take the offensive in Iberia. At the Battle of Ilipa (near modern day Seville), Rome won a decisive victory, forever ending the Carthaginian presence in Iberia and beginning a Roman occupation that would last for the next 700 years.
The Granada War (1482 – 1492 AD)
For the early part of the 8th century to the end of the 15th century, the Moors had a significant presence in Iberia, reaching their heyday in the 10th century, controlling almost all of the peninsula, with its capital, Cordoba, Europe’s biggest and most cultured city. The Moors endowed Spain with palaces, mosques, universities, public baths and had a profound influence on culture, including language and food, (cultivating oranges for the first time on the continent – see my post on Agua de Valencia, the orange juice based cocktail).
View of Granada from the Alhambra, the Muslim palace
The Reconquista – a series of campaigns by Christian kingdoms to recapture Muslim (or Moorish) territory – ended successfully with the fall of Granada. By the late 15th century, Granada was the last state under Moorish control, the other territories long since captured by the Christians. In 1492, following a series of military campaigns over the previous decade, the Catholic monarchs – Isabel and Fernando – triumphantly strode into the city, ending the last remnant of Islamic rule. With the peninsula secured, the monarchs turned the attention outward. 1492 was the same year that Christopher Columbus would set sail to the Americas.
TheWar of the Spanish Succession (1701 – 1714 AD)
In the 17th century Spain was a nation of contrasts. A vast empire with global clout at odds with a weak and backward economy run by a conservative church and idle nobility. In 1700, the sickly king, Carlos the 2nd, died without a direct heir, igniting the war of the Spanish Succession, contested by Felipe of the Bourbon dynasty and Charles of Habsburgs. Whoever held the throne would control Spain, parts of Italy and the low countries, the Philippines and chunks of the Americas. With the balance of power in Europe at risk, all of the main European powers were drawn into the conflict.
Battle of Vigo Bay during the War of the Spanish Succession from the Rijksmuseum, painted in 1705
After over a decade of battles across Europe and North America, the war was concluded with the Treaty of Utrecht, which would grant the Spanish throne to Felipe V (a direct ascendant of the current Spanish royal family), but Spain would have to give up its possessions in the Low Countries and Italy, and cede Gibraltar and Menorca to Britain, marking its ascension as a global power and Spain’s colonial peak.
TheSpanish American War (1898 AD)
For much of the 19th century Spain was deeply divided, backward and insular. Internal conflicts raged between liberals who sought democratic reforms and conservative forces representing the church and nobility that wanted to preserve the status quo. By the end of the century, Spain was weak and barely able to hold itself together, leaving its remaining oversea possessions vulnerable.
“The duty of the hour; – to save her not only from Spain, but from a worse fate”, designed by Louis Dalrymple
In the 1890s Cuba was agitating for independence from Spain. The United States spotting an opportunity to expand its influence, demanded Spanish withdrawal, leading to the Spanish declaring war in response. The ensuing conflict was very one-sided, with the Spanish unprepared to fight a modern navy. The peace treaty forced Spain to renounce its remaining overseas colonies – Guam, Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Philippines – and shocked the Spanish psyche, prompting a period of inward reflection and evaluation of Spanish society, later called the generation of 1898.
TheSpanish Civil War (1936 – 1939 AD)
The war was a long time coming, with society ruptured by gross inequalities and deep class divisions. As in the previous century, the first part of the 20th century saw Spain mired in a struggle between left and right, with neither able to maintain an upper hand.
In 1936, conservative forces led by General Franco attempted a military coup against the democratically Republican government of Spain. This triggered a bloody civil war that would last for three years, with atrocities committed on both sides. The Nationalists, as Franco’s rebels called themselves, received extensive support from Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, while the Republicans were initially aided by the Soviet Union and the International Brigades, volunteers from Europe and the United States.
After a war that split communities, friends and families and caused between 350,000 to 500,000 deaths, Franco marched in to Madrid in the Spring of 1939, declaring the conflict over and started a dictatorship that would last until 1975.
Destruction in Guernica after the air raid in 1937
The political and emotional reverberations transcended the national conflict. The Civil War was a precursor to World War 2, representing an international conflict between tyranny and democracy, fascism and freedom, and depending on the perspective, communism and civilization. For Germany and Italy, Spain was an opportunity to test new methods of tank and air warfare. See my post on the air shelters in Valencia that inspired the El Refugio restaurant.
One of the best things about Spain is the ham. You find it everywhere – from your corner bar to high-end restaurants – and with everything: morning tostada, lunchtime bocadillo and served as tapas. It’s quintessential Spanish culture.
With commonality comes diversity – there are so many varieties (and prices). A supermarket aisle might be wholly dedicated to different types of Spanish ham that to the naked eye will look much the same. It can be overwhelming.
This blog will de-mystify the differences so that you will know exactly how to choose Spanish ham:
The meat comes from the back leg of a pig. After the animal is slaughtered, the leg is stored in a barrel of salt to drain as much moisture as possible. The salt is then wiped cleaned and the leg is left to hang and cure. To serve, slices of ham are carved off the bone.
To choose the ham, these are the most important questions to ask.
Is it Iberico or serrano?
Iberico ham comes from the breed of pig unique to the Iberian peninsula. It’s a black pig that was originally bred from native boars and pigs imported by the Phoenicians, the region’s first colonisers.
The humble iberian pig
Serrano is simply any ham that comes from a non-iberian pig, normally a white pig.
Examing the ham, you’ll see differences in the colour. Iberian ham tends to be a deeper red while serrano is pinkish. In general Iberian has a more intense flavour and is juicer due to the quality of the fat. Serrano is saltier.
A handy trick to check the quality of the ham hanging in a bodega is to spot the colour of the hooves: if black, it’s Iberico; and it’s serrano if white or light brown.
How was the pig fed?
The next question concerns the diet of the pig. The three main varietes are
Bellota (100% acorn)
Cebo de Campo (a mix of acorns and commercial feed)
Cebo (commerical feed)
Bellota is the highest quality as the pigs have been reared in open pasture foraging acorns, giving the meat a unique sweet taste. In addition, the effort of finding the acorns provides exercise to the pig, enabling a rich marbling to form. The more cebo (or commercial feed) is used to replace natural acorns in the diet, the quality of the final product decreases.
As a general rule, bellota and cebo de campo are classified as free-range unlike cebo fed pigs that are farmed intensively.
How long has it been cured?
The curing process is simple. All you need is salt, air and time, managing carefully the humidity and temperature. It’s time that dictates the final mark of quality.
When it comes to serrano, the varieties are
De bodega– cured between 1 and 12 months
Reserva – cured between 12 and 15 months
Gran reserva– cured for longer than 15 months
With iberico, the curing practices align with the diet. Iberica de bellota and cebo de campo need to be cured for at least three years. Cebo only needs to be cured for two years. The longer the curing process, the richer and more intense the meat.
Hanging hams in Granada {photo taken in August 2020]
How should you eat it?
With this guide you’ll have figured out that the best quality ham is iberico, acorn fed and cured for at least three years. This is the melt in the mouth magnificence you dream about. It can come at a price too: the most expensive legs go for about €4,000.
As such, my advice is to simply serve it on its own. Don’t waste it on a sandwich where the rich taste will be subsumed; it’s best solo as a starter or tapas plate. And when it comes to the really good stuff, serve it on a special occasion, such as a wedding or birthday. Another tip is to eat it at room temperature. This allows the meat to ‘sweat’, which melts the fat and maximises the flavour and aroma.
In contrast, serrano ham is more versatile. It’s your man for sandwiches and as an ingredient for other dishes, such as croquettas.
Named for the Spanish civil war air shelter directly opposite, El Refugio restaurant offers innovative and cosmopolitan tapas in a warm and convivial atmosphere. Embedded in the bohemian and medieval barrio of El Carmen, El Refugio prides itself on ‘guarding against uniformity’ in its gastronomy.
El Refugio restaurant
The menu is eclectic: prawn gyozas, sea bass ceviche, Vietnamese summer rolls, cochinita pibil, “Iberican” pastrami. Global dishes benefiting from Mediterranean fresh produce. We wanted it all. If the usual Spanish tapas is starting to feel repetitive, this is the place for you.
We opted for duck and apple croquetas with mango sauce (creamy, moreish with zing), grilled aubergine drizzled with miso sauce and a dollop of cream fraiche on a bed of cous-cous (bursting with flavour: sweet, salty and meaty), and Argentinian skirt steak (tender and succulent) served with chimichurri and eye-catching Peruvian blue potatoes. Washed down with a Valencian red. Desert was a re-imagined tiramisu with apricot and dulce de leche.
Everything was devoured in a lively and intimate ambience. The inimitable and playful proprietor buzzed around nurturing a friendly atmosphere. Everyone seemed to be smiling. Arresting art-work decorated the brick walls (the restaurant exhibits a new local artist periodically). The fun of the open-kitchen seeped across the tables. It’s one of my favourite restaurants in Valencia.
We had four dishes (including one desert) and a bottle of wine. The total came to c. 60 euro. Almost all dishes on the menu are shareable.
History of the Refugios
In 1936 as the Spanish Civil War raged, the capital of the 2nd Republic moved from Madrid to Valencia. The Mediterranean city quickly became a major target for bombing, a forerunner for the indiscriminate civilian targeting that would happen in London and Dresden within a few years. In an effort to protect the city’s populace, over 50 ‘refugios’, or bomb shelters, were constructed.
Today the surviving refugios with their iconic Art Deco lettering are a vivid symbol of the city’s resilience in adversity. One surviving shelter, on Calle de Alta, would become the restaurant’s inspiration, motivated by their very own “cooking revolution”.
The refugio opposite the restaurant
During the civil war, the city was bombed more than 400 times, often by the Italian air force, resulting in the deaths of 800 people, 3,000 injuries and the destruction of 900 buildings.
Further information
Address: Calle Alta 42, El Carmen Opening times: Thursday to Saturday – 2pm – 4pm / 8.30pm – 11pm; Sundays – 2pm – 4pm. Website: www.refugiorestaurante.com
I’ve started this blog to share my experiences while travelling during my sabbatical. Focus on travel, food, drink, and history.
Sagunto, a little-known town about 30km outside of Valencia, played a pivotal role in Spanish and European history. It’s worth a visit. What follows is my account of my day trip to Sagunto.
The first thing you notice as your train rolls in is the ruinous castle that sits proudly on the hill-top looming over the town. Sprawling, dilapidated and imposing, it’s an image that stays with you.
A short stroll from the station brings you to the attractive old town. Here you’ll find a charming ayuntamiento, the gothic church of Santa Maria and the medieval Plaza Mayor with original roman pillars still supporting the colonnade.
Venturing further up the hill you pass the Jewish quarter, entered via an arched gateway with a sign that proclaims, “Portalet de la Juderia”. The neighbourhood preserves its original layout from medieval times. As in so many Spanish towns, the quarter represents a lasting physical memory of a community long since gone.
Gateway to the Jewish quarter
As the path gets steeper the impressive Roman amphitheater jumps into view. Built into the hill and dating from the 1st century AD, the theatre is still used today. As I pass, men are ferrying in equipment for the night’s performance.
Castillo De Sagunto
At last, you reach the castle. Occupied for over 2000 years, the seven different sections of the castle each speak of a different period in Sagunto and indeed Spain’s history. Iberians, Romans, Moors, and the Reconquistadors have all occupied this strategic site. In more recent history the Spanish Civil War saw the parapets used as machine gun posts.
The castle provides spectacular views of the town, the coast and the surrounding Valencian countryside.
A view of Sagunto castle from the old town
Hannibal’s brutal siege
Its most famous moment came in 219 BC when Hannibal captured the pro-Roman castle and sacked the city, prompting Rome to declare war. Hannibal, doubling down on his success, marched his army across the Alps and won several battles, giving him the control of much of Italy.
However the Romans eventually turned the tide, vanquishing the Carthaginians from Italy and later Iberia, leading to Roman hegemony in what is modern-day Spain and forever changing the peninsula.
The siege of Sagunto was brutal. The local population were all put to death refusing Hannibal’s offer of amnesty if they were “willing to depart …., unarmed, with two garments”. The whole city was pillaged and destroyed, the only physical survivor being the Temple to Diana, reportedly owing to Hannibal religiosity. The large foundations stones of the temple can be seen in the old town.
How to get to Sagunto
The best option from Valencia is to take either lines C5 or C6 from Valencia Nord in the centre of the city. It costs 7.50 euro return and there are regular departures.
The world’s great drinks carry you to another world. A concoction of warm glowing nostalgia. A tribute to a certain time and place. The Singapore Sling, Havana’s Mojito, Bia Hoi of Hanoi and Pimm’s on a lazy sunny afternoon in London – to name but a few. Here is your guide to Agua de Valencia.
And so it is for Agua de Valencia, that sweet refreshing bright orange elixir, which has become an iconic accompaniment to a trip to the Mediterranean city. It evokes winding medieval streets, the buzzy chatter of plazas, the relieving night-time breeze, and a gentle tipsiness.
What is Agua de Valencia?
The drink is made up of fresh Valencian orange juice liberally topped with vodka, gin and cava. It’s deceptively lethal with the sweet orange and fizzy wine softening the harder liquor. Generously served by the jug, it’s a cocktail you share among old and new friends, and can be dangerously irresistible as you quench your thirst after the day’s heat.
Friends enjoying Agua de Valencia outside Sant Jaume in El Carmen
The cocktail’s origin story
Reputedly invented in 1959 by Constante Gil, a Valencian artist, the story goes that a group of Basque travellers would frequent Cerveceria Madrid (now Café Madrid), a hub for artists and writers, and always order ‘agua de bilbao,’ referring to the best cava in the house (the origin of agua de bilbao is for another day..) As the basques grew tired of the same drink, Gil, the manager, improvised a new cocktail as an alternative and ‘aqua de valencia’ was born.
The drink stayed a secret amid the small clientele until it rose in popularity across the city in the 70s. Contante Gil’s, who died in 2009, is most famous for his series of paintings called Tertulia de Cafe in which he depicts the influential society gatherings in his Cerveceria during the transition years, where his cocktail would have been copiously imbibed.
Jose Solano’s, a precursor of Gil, paints a typical Tertulia scene. It can be found in the Reina Sofia:
La Tertulia del Café de Pombo, painted in 1920, by Jose Solano. Tertulia translates as a regular informal gathering to discuss a theme.
The Valencian Orange
It’s no surprise that the most iconic ingredient to Agua de Valencia is orange juice.
The Valencian region is the biggest producer of oranges in Spain, which is itself Europe’s largest producer. Oranges have traditionally formed an important part of the Valencian economy and have become a symbol of the city – one example is the azulejos with their orange motif that adorn the modernist train station, Estacio Nord. The local fruit is famed for its sweet taste, making it ideal for juice, and for counteracting alcohol in a cocktail.
Oranges were first introduced to Spain by the Moors, principally as a means to decorate their palaces and mosques, filling their tranquil gardens with the aroma of the blossom. Indeed the spanish word for orange, naranja, comes from the arabic naranj, which in turn came from arab traders that ‘discovered’ the tree in south-east asia.
As well as the orange groves that surround the city, the streets of Valencia are filled with orange trees. Unfortunately the city version is merely decorative than as the fruit is too bitter to be consumed. The rumour is that the fruits are sent to the UK for marmalade production.
Places to try Agua de Valencia
You can order Agua de Valencia in the majority of bars in the city. However, the quintessential places to try it are all located in the older parts of the city, Ciutat Vella and El Carmen:
The Tour du Mont Blanc is an exhilarating circuit around Western Europe’s highest peak that traverses three countries, 10 to 11 mountain passes, winding its way around seven charming valleys. Usually split into 11 stages (or days) and hiked anti-clockwise, the tour is 170km (about 105mi) in length and requires a cumulative climb (and descent) of about 10,000m (about 6mi). In July 2022 as a record-breaking heatwave baked Europe, two old friends and I completed the tour. Based on our experience, here are my tips for your first Tour du Mont Blanc:
Buy a lightweight map, ideally at a scale of 1:25,000 (each mm on map represents about 25 metres) or a reputable guidebook (Cicerone’s is recommended). A map provides invaluable insight as to what you’re facing and where you can find respite, information that can’t be replicated from word-of-mouth and blogs.
Pack lightly
Try to carry no more than 8kg in a 25lt to 35lt backpack (assuming you’re not camping). Be ruthless: you’ll curse extra weight as it’s simply not needed. Mags Nixon’s blog provides a sensible list that we loosely followed.
Start from Le Brevent.
Instead of the orthodox setting-off point from Les Houches, consider getting the cable-car up to Le Brevent (alt. 2525m) to begin the voyage. Your descent will start with inspiring views of Mont Blanc and its surrounding troupe of peaks, aiguilles and glaciers. It also means you’ll finish the tour with a suitably bracing climb, involving ladders and a steep clamber over a rocky lunar terrain. A cool beer then awaits you in “Le Panoramic”: no better way to toast your achievement.
Eat often
It sounds obvious but it’s especially important. Treat your body like a machine that constantly needs a top up of fuel. In general, little and often is better than a lot and rarely. Take the opportunity to stock up on fruit and energy bars in the towns, such as Les Contamines, Courmayeur and Champex.
Bring cash.
Quite a few refuges only accepted cash, for example Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme. Some refuges accept foreign currency, such as Swiss Francs instead of Euro in France – although the exchange rate won’t be favourable. Better to figure out in advance the refuge’s policy so you know how much you need to carry. I saw one lady pay for her stay with a cheque, which seemed ingenious.
Vegetariansbeware
We found little effort was made for vegetarians. Sometimes the meat part was just replaced with a few wilted salad leaves, other times the meat part was simply excluded without a substitute. The better places might give you an omelette, but this tended not to be as filling as the meat option. Try to mitigate this by giving as much notice to the refuge of your dietary requirements – both when booking and on the day of your stay – and by bringing along extra snacks. Vegans would struggle…
Get to know the other hikers
Sharing stories while gleefully devouring dinner together each evening is one of the highlights. Your fellow travellers will be full of tips and insights and add a lot of colour to your journey. It’s great crossing paths again.
Start early
You can cover ground and tougher climbs while the conditions are most favourable and it will give you more time to enjoy the journey, provide opportunities for taking lots of breaks, photos and stopping by the quaint refuges.
Aim for a late afternoon arrival
This might be difficult depending on refuge availability but the ideal arrival time is between 3pm and 4pm. Too early and you risk getting bored – there isn’t a whole lot to do apart from take in the magnificent views – plus the staff won’t be able to check you in due to the lunch rush. Later and you won’t have time to unwind before dinner. Side note: we found good short-notice availability for refuges on the 2nd half of the route allowing us to re-work our itinerary.
Avoid the TMB insurance
The small print reveals it is a more limited version of usual travel insurance and doesn’t really help you if want to change your plans mid-tour. For instance, getting your money back for a refuge because of an injury requires a medical certification.
Stay in Hotel Col du Forclaz and Le Refuge de Pres
First established as an inn in 1830, Hotel Col du Forclaz is brimming with character and ambience. The historical hotel is like stepping back in time – a wonderful amalgamation of The Grand Budapest Hotel, Fawlty Towers with a hint of the Shining – frenetically run by larger-than-life Cedric and his team. It was also the only place that offered a third helping at dinner. De Pres is considerably more chill. A recently restored alpine chalet, it’s clean and smartly designed for the modern hiker, with bed-side lamps and plenty of USB points. Food is excellent too.
Choose Courmayeur for a rest day
If building in a rest day (we didn’t), Courmayeur in Italy is your best bet. We would have appreciated more time relaxing in the piazzas, shopping along Via Roma, savouring the Italian cuisine, and taking advantage of the spas. Plus, Italy will be cheaper than France, and especially Switzerland.
Do you have other tips for the Tour du Mont Blanc? Leave a comment below.
